Posted by Bud on January 31, 2010 at 16:54:24:
Secret passions
Herb Kent: dusties DJ, black-cowboy enthusiast
By Jake Austen
It seems safe to assume Herb Kent has seen it all during his 65 years in radio (the last 21 on WVAZ-FM 102.7). But even the record-spinning �Cool Gent� was taken aback when he arrived for a mid-�90s gig at a Harvey nightclub and saw a horse tied out front. Back then the club was a hangout for black cowboys who celebrate the legacy of African-Americans in the old West with rodeos, parades and parties. These hombres so impressed Kent with their stylish Stetsons that he soon began haunting Alcala�s Western Wear on Chicago Avenue, adopting his signature look.
While he dug the fashion, horses became his real passion. He acquired a South American paso fino horse, a breed legendary for its smooth gait (�You could drink a glass of water at full speed and wouldn�t spill anything,� he boasts in his velvety voice). As the �King of the Dusties� and the face of the dance style known as stepping, Kent naturally named his horse Dusty Stepper, and when wistfully describing the animal�s markings and the �clitter clatter of the hooves,� his legendary cool slips a little as he becomes an emotional parent. Due to recent hoof problems, the horse now rarely leaves its Indiana stable. Reflecting upon Dusty Stepper�s health, Kent laments his riding days may be numbered. �You become so attached�when you have a kid who dies, you don�t say, �Okay, let�s make another one.� I probably will call it a day after this horse.�